Yodt Phair Village

Give Children A Choice’s first visit to Yodt Phair was in 2008. That trip was to visit UXO survivor Mr. Yelee Yang. Our initial goal was to ensure his children continued to attend school, despite Mr. Yelee’s struggles to adjust to his new situation. At the time, it took 10 hours to travel by truck and by foot. Access to some village groups were only by foot. Today, with the new and improved roads (and during dry weather), it takes 3-4 hours. Travel times will be greatly improved when a new “inter-provincial highway” completes.

Yodt Phair’s predecessor villages were heavily bombed and destroyed during the US Secret War. The entire village population migrated to Vietnam or Vientiane during the late 1960s. Villagers returned to their homes during the mid-1970s and 1980s. Yodt Phair, as we know it today, was formed in 1989. The village grew and renewed, despite being UXO infested. UXO removal programs and UXO risk education has reduced UXO casualties but accidents remain a risk. The school grounds have previously been cleared of UXO and we are awaiting confirmation paperwork.

Yodt Phair is a poor village. 93% of the villager families are farmers and have rice fields. 6% grow upland rice. Average incomes remain in the $1 to $2 per day range.

Yodt Phair is comprised of five groups or sub-villages. Only one group retains its historical name Nongkhouang due to its distance from the other sub-villages. There are approximately 970 people in Yodt Phair, 207 families. Government birth control programs have substantially slowed growth. There are 95 primary school aged children; approximately 60 children ages 3 to 5 as well as 56 in the 0 to 2 year old range.

'It’s pretty easy to get passionate about helping when you see living conditions firsthand. I am so thankful that you have the infrastructure already established so it will be easier for those of us who are arriving late to the cause. I have so many images in my head from our trip and I know over time that I will lose most of them, unfortunately. However, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the feelings of exhilaration and heartbreak, nor the desire to help make a difference.'

~ Denise McCarthy

2016-01-13T17:16:45+00:00

'It’s pretty easy to get passionate about helping when you see living conditions firsthand. I am so thankful that you have the infrastructure already established so it will be easier for those of us who are arriving late to the cause. I have so many images in my head from our trip and I know over time that I will lose most of them, unfortunately. However, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the feelings of exhilaration and heartbreak, nor the desire to help make a difference.' ~ Denise McCarthy

http://www.givechildrenachoice.org/testimonials/5836/

‘The children are now walking around the village, singing and reciting what they have learned in school. I have not experienced this in my twenty years in Aine Savanh Village.’

~ Mr. Loung Chak, Village Leader, Aine Savanh Village

2016-01-13T17:28:24+00:00

‘The children are now walking around the village, singing and reciting what they have learned in school. I have not experienced this in my twenty years in Aine Savanh Village.’ ~ Mr. Loung Chak, Village Leader, Aine Savanh Village

http://www.givechildrenachoice.org/testimonials/5840/

'I want to thank you deeply for your kindness and I would like to give special recognition to Give Children A Choice. GCAC has built and filled preschools with children in Luang Prabang Province. Without this, GCAC is still helping preschools teaching – learning materials and also teachers have been provided salaries by GCAC. This nonprofit organization is helping our children in schools. We thank all of you and your supporters. You are always good intention to help our education and many remote village children succeed in school and get a better education.’

'I want to thank you deeply for your kindness and I would like to give special recognition to Give Children A Choice. GCAC has built and filled preschools with children in Luang Prabang Province. Without this, GCAC is still helping preschools teaching – learning materials and also teachers have been provided salaries by GCAC. This nonprofit organization is helping our children in schools. We thank all of you and your supporters. You are always good intention to help our education and many remote village children succeed in school and get a better education.’ ~ Mr. Sychanh Bounathorn, Luang Prabang Education Basic Construction Academic Section

http://www.givechildrenachoice.org/testimonials/5841/

'Give Children A Choice was founded on the basic principles that all funds donated would be directed towards our projects, that we would set high standards and maintain them, and that we would strive towards creating long-lasting relationships with our supporters. We work on a tight budget, our overhead is kept to the bare minimum, and we operate efficiently and effectively.'

~ Debbie Davis, Executive Director, Give Children A Choice

2016-01-13T17:36:00+00:00

'Give Children A Choice was founded on the basic principles that all funds donated would be directed towards our projects, that we would set high standards and maintain them, and that we would strive towards creating long-lasting relationships with our supporters. We work on a tight budget, our overhead is kept to the bare minimum, and we operate efficiently and effectively.' ~ Debbie Davis, Executive Director, Give Children A Choice

http://www.givechildrenachoice.org/testimonials/5842/

‘I was able to see the real lives of these people and how the organization has found ways to help them even in the smallest ways. The organization is true to its cause — finding a way to help, going against all diversity and red tape, and working with the people directly.’

~ Yao Huang

2016-01-14T21:14:31+00:00

‘I was able to see the real lives of these people and how the organization has found ways to help them even in the smallest ways. The organization is true to its cause — finding a way to help, going against all diversity and red tape, and working with the people directly.’ ~ Yao Huang